If your vision of pop is as a music box of shiny, vibrant and boisterous sounds, West Ember opens your eyes to a wonderful new way of working in that genre. They takes the accessibility and simple elegance of modern pop but instead of charging off with them in party mood, cleverly she slows things down, spaces them out, makes them more soul searching and intimate. The result is the most seductive of grooves, one that snakes its way across the back of the song, changing speeds to alter the dynamic but essentially being the main musical thrust on which the song is built.
All In My Head combines deft acoustic indie deliveries with smooth electronic make overs and between these two musical points there is plenty of space but instead of filling it with the usual pop fare and cheap studio tricks, West Ember takes the braver option of leaving the middle ground fairly bare for the most part and apart from a few interesting, passing musical motifs and distant electronica and gentle calypso vibes it is essentially the atmospherics and emptiness in the centre that helps create the mystique of the song.
It is pop, yes, but it also ticks some more unexpected boxes. It panders chilled island grooves, ambient sensibilities and even flirts with the some smooth R&B, the result being slick, sassy and slightly sultry and able to provide a wonderful alternative to the usual neon lit youthful exuberance that normally goes hand in hand with the pop label.
No Comments